WATCHING ANTS. by Arden G. Thompson. Order the complete book from the publisher. Booklocker.com

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1 Poems in sing thoughts of students and teachers. WATCHING ANTS by Order the complete book from the publisher Booklocker.com or from your favorite neighborhood or online bookstore.

3 WATCHING ANTS Arden G. Thompson i

4 WATCHING ANTS Text copyright 1989 & 2016 by All rights reserved. Illustrations copyright 1989 by All rights reserved. All rights reserved. No part of this publication may be reproduced, stored in a retrieval system, or transmitted in any form or by any means, electronic, mechanical, recording or otherwise, without the prior written permission of the author. ISBN: Printed on acid-free paper. First Edition 1989 Second Edition 2016 Design, editing, and typesetting by the author. ii

5 Watching Ants Arden G. Thompson Original wood block prints by iii

7 Watching Ants v

9 Acknowledgements All of these poems previously appeared in the first edition of published by Ventura County Superintendent of Schools Office, Ventura, California, 1989, as part of the National/State Leadership Training Institute on the Gifted and Talented, One Wilshire Building, 624 Grand Avenue, Suite 1007, Los Angeles, California , Irving S. Sato, Director. The following poems in the first edition also were in these publications: G/C/T "Please don't make me climb into a box," "I don't like your world," "Shadows keep me company," "How can I explain rainbows," "If you see things bright," "Dare I," "Dear Teacher, Be careful "If I remember everything," Myself: A Ladder" Insight:"Rocks" Listen:"Why snowflakes grow six-sided," "Each holds a gift for all," "If I could choose" Bernice McCarthy's Handbook for Teachers:"The hope of tomorrow" The Living Church:"Tomorrow," "Now is new" vii

11 ... to all of you for whom I sing Sing me, Lord, as the wind sings the water and the trees. As a hollow reed tumbling along the uncertain space between tides, fill and move me until finally, abraded away by being, nothing more separates us; and the Wind, and the singer can become one in the Song. Sing me, Lord, sing me, Your song. ix

13 Table of Contents Acknowledgements... vii Introduction FIRST EDITION... xv Introduction SECOND EDITION... xx STUDENT: PLEASE DON'T MAKE ME CLIMB INTO A BOX... 1 Please don t... 3 I m a night... 5 Today my name... 7 Who?... 9 What If I tell you Inside, Where does it I wonder I don t like your world, Shadows move Words are sneaky Rabbit facts Whoever said Stop Like a wild animal We re not If I were well rounded Some of the finest Too many good Moving Now Most tests Sometimes I Like a moth xi

14 If we don t Perhaps the finest Love me not Shadows keep TEACHER: WHY SNOWFLAKES GROW SIX-SIDED Why snowflakes If any are To live Where would we be We have accustomed You and I Without courage Little bird, Forward and backward Time has If we laugh Distant mountains Tomorrow Truth Tadpole School The hope of tomorrow Now Schools should be TEACHER: HOW CAN I EXPLAIN RAINBOWS? How can I In School If you see The only things For each I stop those Does a gift If I reduce Gifts come in packages xii

15 Who is gifted? If you Perhaps today Each holds a gift Words, words, Burn Most of the works Now is new, STUDENT: DARE I? Dare I? Our motions I really If I could choose, Let me Where is reality If in the abstract Words are boxes Dear Teacher, Art Don t hold I am the filter It takes time If I touch Dear Teacher, Rocks Every day I I see Love s inverse Dear Teacher, STUDENT: IF I REMEMBER EVERYTHING If I remember everything As I am It s grand to share xiii

16 I will give Sometimes What whole truth is Can I In a mirror Given a choice, Wonder Now, Each creature How big Let me live I may not Myself: A Ladder xiv

17 Please don t make me climb into a box of your-sizeview-of-me. Let my limitations be my own, not ones imposed on me; and let the corners be sky blue, not dingy, cardboard brown, and let me run and play upon the hills alone if playmates can t be found. I ll bring you all back rainbows, and great armfuls of joy, but please, don t put me in your box; it s really not my size. 3

18 Poems in sing thoughts of students and teachers. WATCHING ANTS by Order the complete book from the publisher Booklocker.com or from your favorite neighborhood or online bookstore.

Pass It On. by Arden G. Thompson. Order the complete book from the publisher. Booklocker.com

Pass It On. by Arden G. Thompson. Order the complete book from the publisher. Booklocker.com . is a collection of poems written for readers of all ages about nature - human and other. The poems are understandable and meaningful to all. It will be particularly helpful to teachers of language arts